


First to Last

by Spiria



Category: World Trigger
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-08-07 13:55:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7717411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiria/pseuds/Spiria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Kako and Ninomiya went out for dinner, to the last time they had a drink.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They go out for dinner. Kako lets Ninomiya choose the place.

As they slide into the booth across each other, Kako says, "A guy like you likes barbecue? You learn something new every day."

Ninomiya scowls. "Is there a problem?"

"No, it's just that you're so concerned about appearances that I would have bet on you choosing a fancy joint . . . yet here we are."

"If you don't like it, we can go somewhere else."

"Oh, no. Here's just fine.” Kako picks at the menu, her gaze focused on Ninomiya. “Do you eat like a big boy, too? How many servings are you going to order?"

Ninomiya pointedly ignores her to peruse the menu, though he rattles off an order from memory once the waitress greets them. The platter soon arrives with both his and Kako’s orders, and he starts by dumping the latter onto the grill.

“You’re going to do mine first? What a gentleman,” says Kako.

“You ordered chicken. If I don’t do yours first, you won’t be able to eat until the end,” says Ninomiya.

“I don’t mind. It’ll give me more chances to watch you eat.”

Ninomiya pauses. After placing the chicken on one edge, he brings his order onto the other side with a separate tong. “I thought this dinner was to get to know each other better.”

“You’re tackling this like an interview. I’m not going to sit here and play twenty questions with you. Can you imagine anything more dreadfully boring?” says Kako, eyeing Ninomiya’s practiced motions with the meat and grill. “Actions speak louder than words. I’m already learning a lot.”

“It’s dinner time. Focus on eating.”

“Not until the chicken’s ready. So? Is it?”

“Not for a long time,” says Ninomiya, his expression cross as Kako snaps her chopsticks in the chicken’s direction. At the last second, she pops one of his cooked slices into her mouth and he starts. “ _Hey_ \- ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't let the tag and category fool you. The romance is going to be almost nonexistent despite the classically romantic scenes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have their second kiss. Ninomiya is less clumsy this time.

"Oh, you kissed back this time."

With a crease in his brow, Ninomiya pulls back. "You were complaining the other day. Isn't that what you want?"

Beaming, Kako says, "Of course it is. You're a fast learner, Ninomiya-kun, but you've still got a ways to go. That kiss was still much too rigid."

“What puts you in the position to judge that?”

“Between the two of us, I’m the better kisser. It’s not something you can help, given your history with people. You’ll have to watch and learn . . . or should I say, ‘learn through experience’?” She pauses, her lips stretching into a wide smile. “Is it just me, or is your face turning red?”

“It’s your imagination,” says Ninomiya, turning away.

“I can tell you’re trying to make this work. You don’t have to be so self-conscious, you know. Inexperience doesn’t turn me off; actually, it’s a little cute.”

Ninomiya’s eye twitches, and he shoves his hands inside his pant pockets. With a curious hum, Kako rests a hand on his shoulder, slides it down his arm, and reaches inside the pocket on her side to fish his hand out. She shrugs at the scandalized look Ninomiya shoots her as she weaves their fingers together, their palms touching.

“Don’t give me that look. Holding hands is only natural for a couple.”

“What you did earlier wasn't that. And how many couples do it in public?” asks Ninomiya.

“Enough,“ answers Kako. She wriggles her fingers against his. “You have soft hands, Ninomiya-kun. Holding them pleases me. Don’t mind what others might think. It's just us.”

After that, Ninomiya says nothing. When Kako starts to gently rock their joined hands back and forth, however, he grips hers tightly to slow the motion. For the entire duration of the brief walk, Ninomiya avoids Kako's eyes. Then, at the entrance of Border headquarters, he drops her hand altogether to reach for his trigger and unlock the door.

As they enter the building, Kako stops and says, “For what it's worth, I like it when you try. Doesn't making the effort feel rewarding to you, too?”

"Azuma-san is waiting. Let's go," says Ninomiya, starting down the hallway while Kako watches his retreating form.

"Since you mentioned Azuma-san, that's a yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The alternate title for this fic is "the series of Kako peeling away Ninomiya's onion layers." To her, it's probably like opening a box to find another box, then another, and yet another . . . They're experimenting, and right now it's the phase where everything is new and, by extension, fun to some degree. Kako also gets the thrill of seeing progress.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third time they hold hands. Kako wonders when Ninomiya will initiate physical contact.

"You've got to be the clumsiest person I know. What good is your talent if you can't communicate with people?" asks Kako.

"You're the one who doesn't listen when it suits you,” says Ninomiya.

"See? That's what I'm talking about. You don't have a single romantic bone in that tall body of yours. It's a total shame."

Ninomiya looks down at their joined hands. Kako’s gaze flickers between them before she smiles. "Careful. If you don't hold on, I might just fly away,” she says, and taps his knuckles.

The sound of shifting plastic fills the silence as Ninomiya goes quiet with the lack of a comeback, the grocery bag in his other hand swinging to the steady pace of their walk. Kako had wanted to buy ingredients for her specialty fried rice, which she had claimed was phenomenal and intended to feed the squad that evening.

She tilts her head in the direction of the grocery bag. “Are you excited?”

“It’s just fried rice,” says Ninomiya.

“There you go again. Doesn’t the idea of homemade food by your teammate and girlfriend excite you?” she asks, shrugging, and Ninomiya pauses.

“I’ve never had food you’ve cooked before,” he says at last, his words heavy with uncertainty. “I don’t find that exciting.”

“My, Ninomiya-kun, are you that afraid of the unknown? Don't worry so much. I’ll take good care of you and the rest of the squad. Even Miwa-kun is sure to lighten up once he has a bite.” Patting his hand, Kako leans in almost imperceptibly until her head touches Ninomiya’s shoulder. “I want you to have every bite of your plate. If you can do that, I won’t mind if you never start physical contact.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Then someone volunteering to be the taste tester died, and Ninomiya never trusted Kako's homemade food ever again. Kako didn't get mad, though.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fourth house visit to Kako Squad's operation room. Ninomiya brings new of his own squad.

The faint smell of fried rice permeates the operation room even before Kako starts cooking in the kitchenette, Ninomiya watching from against the wall. Setting bowls from the cupboard onto the counter top, she asks, "I hear you found your operator. So you're officially going to be a squad leader?"

"All of us are meeting tomorrow to sign the document," says Ninomiya, eyeing a bowl with suspicious regard.

"So our Ninomiya-kun is finally leaving the nest. You must have already told Azuma-san."

"Of course."

"Let's see . . . Mirai-chan told me about the boys. Tsuji-kun is a solo B-Rank agent, while Inukai-kun is a recent graduate of C-Rank. An attacker and a gunner, respectively, and Mirai-chan is a sniper." Kako cracks an egg over the bowl and begins to stir its contents. "Not bad. You covered all of your bases."

"And you? Your squad's lineup is exceedingly few. Are you ever going to find more people?" asks Ninomiya.

"I’m always recruiting. It’s just that there isn’t as many talented agents whose names start with a K as there are with others. If I weren’t concerned about that, I might even have recruited you before you found your own members." After adding the beaten egg to the skillet, Kako turns around and leans against the counter, her lips stretched into a wry smirk. "What, you’re not going to say anything? You can take that as a compliment.

"Anyway, it’ll be interesting if our squads go against each other during the upcoming rank matches. You’ve got a lot of catching up to do," she says, playing with a loose strand of hair in front of her ear.

"We’ll get there," says Ninomiya, his gaze flickering from Kako to the skillet.

"Then I guess you’ll be heading out to crunch numbers and scenarios without taking a single break, won’t you? Want to try my fried rice before you go?" asks Kako. "It's almost done."

Ninomiya scowls. "No."

Kako sighs. "For someone so headstrong, you’re not adventurous at all. Are you ever going to indulge yourself?"

"I have no intention of dying anytime soon."

"You’re still hung up on that? Come to think of it, is that when the ember of our passion started to wane? Or maybe I was just too intense for you. Which was it?"

Looking away with a muted sigh of his own, Ninomiya replies, "I'm not answering that."

"Then I'll fill in the blanks on my own. Now go on - your squad needed you yesterday,” says Kako, smiling and waving Ninomiya away as she pushes off the counter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they broke up between the previous chapter and this one. It wasn't messy or anything, rather resembling a candle that went out quietly. They realized that, while not a bad fit, they weren't an ideal fit, either. But who knows what the future holds in store . . . (The answer is my self-indulgence and a baker's dozen of hints in other fics.)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hatohara is gone, and Kako takes Ninomiya on a last night out together.

"Does Mirai-chan’s termination bother you that much? She was always anxious about shooting people, wasn't she? I thought you'd be happy for her. You're not holding a grudge, because she cost you A-Rank, are you?"

“It's not difficult to achieve A-Rank,” says Ninomiya, staring straight ahead at the wall lined with liquor bottles as he nurses a glass of innocent drink. He takes a generous sip. “That's not the problem."

“Then what is? You're never this depressed,” says Kako, resting her chin on a palm.

“I'm not depressed.”

“Yes, you are. You won't look at me or anyone else here. And have you checked your expression? You're totally unguarded. I'm almost expecting you to start crying.”

Ninomiya pinches the bridge of his nose between his closed eyes. “I didn't come with you to hear this.”

“On the contrary, I think you did. What happened in that meeting with the higher ups?”

“That's confidential,” murmurs Ninomiya.

Kako clicks her tongue. “You know that's not what I was asking. Something is seriously bothering you. You need to stop hiding behind all that ‘cool logic’ and come clean about what's got you so down. You're eating yourself alive.”

Setting his halfway finished drink down, Ninomiya hunches forward to bury his head in his arms. No doubt he's feeling the buzzing intoxication from the force of his own moping, thinks Kako, who expels a dramatic sigh.

“You're not going to talk, are you?”

“No,” replies Ninomiya, sounding more tired than anything.

“All right, but you need to gather yourself once we leave this place. It's May. You're on break, but the next rank wars start soon. Without Mirai-chan, your squad’s going to have to make serious revisions to strategy,” says Kako, watching the contours of Ninomiya’s unresponsive shoulders. “Are you listening?"

After a brief pause, Ninomiya answers with his head still down, “I know.”

Frowning, Kako lifts her glass to watch the sloshing liquid. "Good grief. You're always so distant. One of these days, someone will hurt you, Ninomiya-kun." Her lips downturn at his silence. Kako sets her glass down and climbs out of the stool, Ninomiya showing no signs of following suit. The brightly lit screen of her phone tells Kako it's almost time for the establishment to close shop, and she foots the bill. "Come on. I'll drive you home. I don't want you falling asleep here, and I doubt you'll be happy to wake up on the street after you get yourself kicked out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a lot of focus on Ninomiya throughout the fic for this ending. For that reason, there was also the trend of Kako watching his habits. They started off trying something new, and from there got to know each other better until Kako plainly sees Ninomiya's nuanced behavior after the incident with Hatohara despite no longer being involved together. On his end, Ninomiya is comfortable enough to look a little more down around her. It's something of a coming of age moment for them both, for Ninomiya to hold a secret and for Kako to let him keep it when they used to be more honest with each other.
> 
> Because Kako's fried rice demands the very honest, resounding answer of "no."
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
